Blancher



April 22, 1941.

' F. D. CHAPMAN BLANCHER 2 Shee-ts-Shee.I l

Filed Feb. l2, 1940 OZIEYSS.

April 22, 1941. F. D; CHAPMAN 2,238,972

BLANCHER FildFeb. 12. 1940 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 INVENTOR 'BY ATTO N EY.

Patented Apr. 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLANCHER Frank D. Chapman, Berlin, Wis.

Application February 12, 1940, Serial No. 318,488

16 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to improvements in the art of heat treating comestibles, and relates more specifically to improvements in .the construction and oper-ation of mechanisms for blanching or otherwise heat treating foods in order to preserve the color, andto improve the palatability, `and other characteristics thereof.

Generally defined, an object of this invention is to provide an improved machine for blanching or otherwise heat treating foods in an improved manner, which machine is simple and compact in construction and highly eiiicient in use.

It has heretofore lbeen common commercial practice in the food treating and canning infdustry, to blanch legumes such as green peas, continuously and in bulk, before measured batches of the commodity were placed into the nal receptacles or cans. Because of the diverse characteristics of the legumes, it is absolutely necessary in order to insure most eective blanching of all peas, to vary the duration of the treatment, the temperature applied, and Ithe rate of heat transfer, to suit the specific characteristics of :the product being treated, Kand it was impossible to do this with the old methods and apparatus. This would result in overtreatment of the tender peas and insuflicient treatment of the harder peas with resultant inequality in the iinal product. In order to overcome these objections, it has recently been proposed to blanch or heat treat legumes such as green peas after measured batches thereof have been placed in the successive cans and before the receptacles are sealed, by heat treating the open topped food and liquid laden containers in the successive heating zones of an ordinary exhaust box, and by discarding the treating liquid by inversion of each can against a drainage screen after each batch is treated. While this new method of blanching has some advantages over the old bulk process, it also has many disadvantages and requires considerable tedious and costly manual labor. The new method depends largely upon human judgment and cannot be carried on in simplied automatic mechanism, and it does not provide for convenient and accurate variation in the treating time and temperature, and in the rate of heat transfer, so that desired uniformity of treatment is still impossible with the improved method.

The present invention therefore contemplates provision of a new and useful automatically functioningjblancher which is operable at relatively high speed and with minimum attention to carry on batch blanching of legumes or the like.

Another specic object; of my present invention is to provide an improved blanching machine which is highly exible in operation and which is therefore adapted to quickly and eitectively meet various operating conditions best suited for treatment of the particular product being handled.

A further specic object of :this invention is to provide an improved blancher wherein Ithe blanching treatment can be accurately controlled and readily varied at the will of the operator, so as to vary either the duration of the treatment, the temperature, or the rate of temperature increase and decrease.

Still another specic object of my invention is to provide an improved blancher assemblage of relatively simple and compact construction, which will eectively cooperate with one or more rela- -tively standard automatic receptacle'lling units or the like.

An additional specific object of lthe present invention is to provide an improved blanching method and structure adapted to effectively treat diverse materials such as green peas, whole string beans, or practically :any commodity, bulk batches of which may be inserted in a bucket or receptacle and subsequently delivered therefrom by dumping the bucket.

A further additional specific object of my invention is .to provide an improved machine for heat treating relatively small successive batches of granular commodity, in which the individual batches may be heated, permitted to soak, or cooled in a manner whereby most eflicient final treatment of the material is assured regardless of variations in the characteristics of the material in the several batches.

Another additional speciiic object of the inn ven-tion is to provide an improved liquid measur ing pocket and control valve assemblage for batch measuring and delivering machines of various types.

These and other speciiic objects and advantages of the present invention, will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the several improved features constituting my present invention, and

l of the mode of constructing and of utilizing an automatic batch blancher built in accordance with the improvement, maybe had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a .top View of one of my improved yblanchers embodying eight batch treating pocketsu and having some portions -thereof shown diagrammatically;

Fig. 2 is a part sectional side view of the blanching machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragment of a development of part of the blancher shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged central vertical section through one of the improved liquid batch measuring units, showing the measuring piston just arriving at its lowermost position;

Fig. 5 is a similar enlarged section through the liquid measuring unit, and showing the displacement piston just arriving at its uppermost position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary similar enlargement'.ofV

the liquid measuring unit, showing the control valve in neutral or locking. positionj I Fig. '1 is a further enlarged outside view of the rotary control valve for the liquid measuring unit;

Fig. 8 is a likewise enlarged plan View of the improved rotary control valve;

Fig'. 9 is a diagrammatic side view of a modified three pocket type of blancher adapted to discharge all of the blanching liquid during each discharge of a treated batch;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic top view of a portion of the mechanism of Fig. 9; and v Fig. 11 is a topV view of another portion of the assemblage of Figs. 9 and 10.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as being especially applicable for ther blanchingV of relatively small granules such as green peas, the improved method and apparatus are also more generally applicable to the heat treatment of other legumes, berries, vegetables such as beets, and like granular materials; It is not, therefore, desired to unnecessarily restrict the scope or utility of the improvement, to green peas, and this product has merely been cited as one example.

The present improved blancher 2l which is shown in detail in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, comprises in general eight independent treating pockets 22 tiltablyV supported upon a spider 34 securedto a main upright shaft 35 which is journalled for rotation in a main frame 33; an annular series of chutes 23 secured to and revolvable with the shaft 35 above the pockets 22, and each being provided with a lower central downwardly open recess 31 through which an overflow spout 38 on the adjacent pocket 22 is swingable during tilting of the pocket about its horizontal trunnions 39; a variable speed electric motor 4D mounted on the main frame 35 and cooperating with the upper end of the upright shaft 35 through speed reducing gearing 4I so as to slowly revolve the pockets 22 and chutes 23 vabout the axis of the shaft 35 at any predetermined speed; a series of vertically movable rods or slides-42 reciprocable in guideways 43 carried by the chute supporting spider 44, and each having an actuating roller 45 coacting with cam rails 45 secured to the main frame 33; links.

41 connecting the lower ends of the slides 42 with gear segment levers 43 pivotally suspended from the revolving spider 34, the levers 48 having teeth 49 meshing with gears 50 carried by the pocket trunnions 33; a fresh hot liquid chemical measuring and supply unit 25 mounted on the main frame 33 a short distance beyond the fresh legume supply spout 5 l, and having a rotary control valve 52 operable by projections 53 carried by and r-i volvable with the chutes 23, the unit 23 also having a hot liquid discharge pipe 54 directed into the chutes 23; an annular liquid overflow pan or receptacle 55 carried by the revolving spider 34 beneath the outlet ends of the pocket overflow spouts 33 and having a drainage pipe 55 directed downwardly into a stationary annular receptacle 51; a liquid circulating centrifugal pump 58 having a suction pipe 59 communicating with the receptacle 51 and with an expansion tank 60 preferably located so as to avoid overflow of liquid from the receptacle 51, and also having a discharge pipe Si communicating through a liquid heater B2 with a liquid return pipe 63; and a series of five or more stationary liquid delivery pipes 64 directed into the revolving chutes 23 and each having therein an independent now control valve 65.

The improved fresh hot chemical supply unit 26for delivering'premeasured batches of hot liquid to the successive revolving pockets-22 through the chutes 23, may be similar in construction to the units shown in my copending application Serial No. 291,159, led August 21, 1939, and the unit 25 will have a selected capacity corresponding to the size of the pockets 22, and several units 26 may in some cases, be provided. Each of the measuring units 28 comprises a cylinder 6B secured v to the stationary frame 36 and having therein a. vertically reciprocable floating piston 61 which is movable by uid pressure acting thereon, betweenthe bottomv of the cylinder bore and an adjustable stop 68 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. A rotary control valve 52 mounted in the base of the cylinder 66 has two arcuate ports 69, 19

therein, and is intermittently rotatable by means of eight radial arms 1l which are engageable by the revolving projections 53 carried by the chutes 23, through successive angles of only forty-five degrees. The fresh liquid supply pipe 25-com municates with one side of the valve chamber, while the measured liquid delivery pipe 54 communicates with the opposite side of the chamber through a goose-neck 12` which rises above the topof the cylinder 65 so as to prevent trapping air. The top of the Valve chamber connects with the bottom of the lower piston displacement chamber through a passage 13, while the bottom of the valve chamber communicates with the top of the upper piston displacement chamber through a passage 14; and the stop 68 is vertically adjustable to vary the stroke of the piston 61 and may be retained in adjusted position by means of a set screw 15. When the valve 52 is positioned as shown'in Fig. 4, fresh liquid admitted from the supply pipe 25 passes through the valve port 59 and passage 14 into the upper piston displacement chamber, thereby forcing the piston61 down and delivering the measured batch of liquid from 4beneath the piston through the passage' 13, port 19, goose-neck 12 and pipe 54 to the receiving chute 23below this pipe. When the valve 52 isrevolved forty-ve'degrees to the position shown in Fig. 8, Vall ports and passages are sealed; but as the valve 52 is shifted another forty-ve degrees to the position shown in Fig. 5, the piston 61 is automatically elevated and the measured batch of liquid above the piston is discharged.

Each of the treating pockets 22 communicates with its overow spout 38V past a screen 15, as shown in Fig. 2, so-that treating-liquid may circulate downwardly through the mass of legumes confined within the pocket 22, and may escape anatra upwardly through the conduit leading to the spout 38, without permitting solids to escape. The spouts 38 serve to establish a definite level of hot treating liquid in each pocket 22, and the liquid Which escapes from these spouts 38 drops into the revolving receptacle 55 and escapes therefrom through the pipe 56 into the lower stationary receptacle 51 from whence it is withdrawn by the pump 58 through the pipe 59. The suction pipe 59 should be provided with a drain valve 11 for permitting removal of liquid from the liquid heating and circulating system, and this valve may be placed at the pump 58 or in any other desirable location. The heat exchanger or liquid heater 62 through which the treating liquid passes in flowing from the pump 58 to the distributing pipe 63, may be supplied with regulated quantities of heating medium such as steam through a pipe 18 having a control valve 19 therein, and the spent heating medium may be discharged through a pipe 80. As previously indicated, the distributing pipe 63 communieates with the several final delivery pipes 64 past control valves 65; and by manipulating these valves 65, hot treating liquid can be supplied to any of the pockets 22 at any desired point of travel about the axis of the shaft 35, in order to vary the time of treating or soaking in hot liquid. The temperature of the liquid may obviously be controlled by manipulating the valve 19, thus making the system extremely flexible.

The gearing 4| interposed between the propelling motor 40 and the shaft 35, normally revolves the shaft 35 and the pockets 22 and chutes 23 carried thereby, at a slow rate of speed, and this rate can obviously be varied by varying the motor speed. During the revolution of the pockets 22 from the Zone of admission of fresh legumes and liquid to a point just preceding delivery of the batches therefrom, the pockets 22 will travel in upright position and treating liquid may be circulated therethrough by the pump 58,

. but when the actuating rollers 45 on the successive slides 42 ride down the dip or depression in the fixed cam ring as shown at the right of Fig. 2, the toothed levers 49 and gears 50 become effective to tilt and to invert the corresponding pockets 22 to thereby stop the liquid circulation and dump the treated legumes onto the conveyor 21. Immediately following this dumping, each pocket 22 is again righted preparatory to the reception of a fresh batch or charge.

While the normal operation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive should be apparent from the foregoing description, a short resum of this operation will be given. The motor 40 is normally operating to slowly revolve the shaft 35, pockets 22 and chutes 23 at a predetermined speed, and as the successive pockets 23 move past the spout l they receive batches of fresh legumes of any selected grade. As the food laden pockets 22 advance past the hot liquid supply unit 26 they are automatically supplied with measured charges of fresh treating liquid. During the advancement of the mixture laden pockets 22 beneath the hot liquid delivery pipes 64, any selected valves 65 of the series, may be opened to admit additional hot liquid to the pockets 22 and to cause a circulation of hot liquid through the pockets 22. For example, if all of the valves 65 are opened, hot liquid will be circulated through each batch of legumes by the pumps 58 throughout the treating period. If only the valve part of thetreating period, and the remainder of the period will be devoted to soaking. If none of the initial valves 65 is opened, and hot liquid is admitted only during the end of the treating period, the total treating time may be reduced to a minimum. Therefore, if the operator knows the specic characteristics of the material in the successive batches, he can readily control the machine 'by manipulating the valves 65 and the heat control valve 19, so as to insure most efficient treatment of each individual batch. The delivery or dumping of` the successive heat treated batches `at the end of the treating period is accomplished automatically by the cam ring 46 coacting With the rollers 45, and the liquid which is dumped with the treated material, may be wasted, or purified and returned for subsequent use.

In the system of Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, a certain amount of treating liquid is retained in the heating` and circulating portion of the system, and is utilized in the treatment of successive batches Y of Commodity, and this liquid should be period- 65 nearest the fresh supply source is opened, hot

ically removed and replaced. It is possible, however, to utilize my invention in systems wherein the entire treating liquid is completely removed after treatment of each successive batch of material, and such modied system and apparatus is shown diagrammatically in Figs. 9 to 11 inclusive. The improved modified blancher comprises, a series of any desired number of material confining and treating pockets 22, 22', 22" each having a screen 16 and an overiiow spout 38, and being tltably supported by trunnions 39 from a spider 34 carried by a revolving upright shaft 35; an annular receptacle 55 carried by and revolving with the spider 34 and being divided by radial partitions 8l into three segregated basins 82, 82', 82" having drain pipes 83, 83', 83" respectively disposed at different distances from the axis of the shaft 35; a lower stationary receptacle 51 having therein circular partitions 84 dividing the same into annular basins 85, 85', 85" which communicate respectively with pump suction pipes 86, 86', 86"; and an automatic drain valve 81, 81', 81" in each of the pump suction pipes 86, 86', 86", operable by the pockets 22, 22', 22" respectively during the dumping movement thereof.

Each of the pipes 86, 86', 86" forms part of an independent hot liquid circulating system having its ownpump 58 and heat transfer device 62 as shown in Fig. 2, and each of the drain valves 81, 81', 81l is operable by a lever 88 adapted to be actuated by a lug 89, 89', 89 associated with the bottom of its corresponding pocket 22, 22', 22" during tilting of the pocket, so as to completely drain the circulating system of each treating pocket when that pocket is dumped. There may be any desired number of treating pockets 22, 22', 22", and a corresponding nurnber of hot liquid circulating systems, one for each pocket, and the mechanisms for supplying legumes and fresh liquid to the treating pockets, and for revolving and periodically dumping the pockets may be the same as that previously described.

During normal operation of the modified system and apparatus shown in Figs. 9 to 11 inclusive, the pockets 22, 22', 22" will be revolved slowly about the axis of the shaft 35, and Will be supplied with successive batches of legumes and charges of fresh treating liquid from supply units 26 in the manner previously described. Each batch of material may then be blanched or treated in'accordance with requirements, by manipula-v tionofthe valves 19,k 65 associated withits hot liquid 4circulating and distributing system; and whenf ,the treated batches arev discharged by dumping the respective pockets 22,'22, 22,, all of the treating ,liquid is simultaneously Adischarged from the corresponding heating and circulating systems, s o that veach subsequentv bfatch is blanclied in nothing but fresh liquid. The overow from the pocket 22 is delivered to the basin 32 andzfrom thence through'the'outer pipe 83 into the outer basin 85 from whence it is Withdrawn by the pump through the suctionpipe'. The overilow from the pocket' 22' is delivered to the lbasin 82 and from thence through the intermediate pipe 83 into the intermediate basin 85' `from .whence it* is withdrawn by its pump through the suction pipe B6. Likewise the overflow from the pocket 22 is delivered to the basin 82 and from thence ,through the 'inner pipe 83" into the inner basin from whence it is withdrawn by itsvown pump through the suction pipe 86. The drain valves 87, El", 81 are operable only by tilting of their respective pockets '22, 22', 22, andthe lugs 89, 89", 89 are staggered so as to insure such operation. These drain valvelsjare adapted to close automatically lafter each dumping operation so as to restore the corresponding system to normal operating condition.

Erom the foregoing detailed description it will beapparent that my present invention provides an extremely flexible and readily manipulable system for mosteifectively blancliing or otherwise heat treating commodities in accordance with their specific requirements.l proved system, commodities'lia'ving known characteristics, canv be subjected to treatment under controlled temperature, for any desired length or periodl of time. They can be subjected totemperature increase either slowly orv rapidly, and can be permitted to remain underthe influence of `predetermined temperature, as during soaking, for any `desired period of time. While the control valvesshown rand described herein lare manually operable, some of these valves mayioe operated automatically with theaidof thermostats. However, due Ato the varying 'nature' ofthe material, it vis perhaps more desirable to utilize manual control. Each successive batch of material can obviously be heat treated so astO insureuni-r formity in treatment and in qualityofthe nal product,r and this may obviously bey accomplished `with,minimum eifort and with aminimumn'umber of attendants;

An important feature of myV present ,invention is the internal control of heat by' bringingup rthe treating temperatures either y rapidly or slowly, and by circulating the liquid to effect uniform treatment of all of the material, forV example,

with the improved blancher as shown, the follow- V(d) ,Each batch may be brcught-uptotemperature in two minutes and subsequentlysoaked one minute; f

(e) Each batch can be brought up to temperature in three minutes and permitted to soak one or two minutes;

(ft) Each batch may be brought up to temperature'in four minutes and allowed to soak one minute; and

(g) Each batch can be brought up to temperature in ve minutes, Without subsequentV soaking.

These examples illustrate the flexibility of the improved system and are purely illustrative of a few of the possible operations. These operations may be effected by regulating the quantity of liquid circulated through the heat exchangers E2 vand pockets 22, and the degree of heating of the liquid, and by proper operation of the valves 65. If so "desired, each batch of material, may, after initial heating, be permitted to cool slightly, and maybe subsequently re-heated, and this may be accomplished by utilizing the cool water supply line 25. In some cases, such temporaryy cooling between heating periods is relatively important, and the specific treatment utilized will of course depend largely upon the characteristics of the particular product.

The material is never subjected to human handling, thus maintaining sanitary conditions, and the period of treatment may obviously be prolonged or shortened by varying the speed of revolution of the treating pockets or by proper manipulation of the control valves 65. While the relatively simple system of Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, does not discard all of the treating liquid after each treatment of a batch, the modied system of Figs. 9 to 11 inclusive will obviously permit such -discardation of liquid. Although the improved system is especially useful for blanching peas, it can also be used to advantage in the heat treatment of many other commodities. The irnproved valve assemblage for the fresh liquid supply unitis operable at slow speed and through limited angles, thereby greatly increasing the life,

of these valves and reducing thewear to a minimum. -These liquid supply units can obviously beutilized in other mechanisms, such as lling ,of time during advancement thereof.

2. A system Afor blanching comestibles, comprising,'means for segregating the material into relatively small batches and for transporting the batches in succession along a definite path, and means for independently circulating heating mediurn through each of said advancing batches for a` predetermined period of time.

3. A'sy'stem for blanching comestibles, comprisingLmeans for segregating the material into `relatively small batches and for transporting the batches, succession along a definite path,

means for independently circulating heating liq- Tuid through each of the advancing batches for a predetermined period of time, and means for automatically removing the heating liquid from each batch.

4. In a, blancher, a pocket revolvable about an axis, means for delivering material to said pocket, means for circulating heating liquid through said material while confined Within said pocket for a predetermined period of time, means for controllably varying the duration f said circulation, and means for dumping said material from said pocket at a predetermined moment.

5. In a blancher, an upwardly open pocket revolvable about an axis, means for admitting a batch of bulk solids to said pocket, means for circulating heating liquid through said material for a denite period of time, and means for inverting said pocket to dump said solids therefrom at the end of said period.

6. In a blancher, a series of pockets revolvable about an axis, means for admitting batches of bulk solids to the successive pockets of said series, means for controllably circulating heating liquid through each of said pockets for a selected period of time and independently of other pockets of the series, and means for dumping the charges from the successive pockets.

7. In a blancher, a series of pockets revolvable about an axis, means for admitting batches of bulk solids to the successive pockets of said series, means for controllably circulating heating liquid through each of said pockets for a selected period of time and independently of other pockets of the series, and means for inverting the successive pockets to dump the charges therefrom during revolution thereof.

8. In a blancher, an annular series of tiltable receptacles revolvable about an axis, means for admitting a batch of legumes of selected grade to each advancing receptacle, means for independently controllably heating the charge in each of said receptacles, and means for inverting each receptacle to remove the charge therefrom.

9. In a blancher, an annular series of receptacles revolvable about an axis, means for supplying a batch of legumes to each of said recep- L tacles, means :for injecting a measured batch of heated liquid into each batch of legumes, means for controllably heating said liquid and for circulating the same through the batch in each receptacle for a predetermined period of time, and means for automatically removing the treated batch from each receptacle.

10. In a blancher, an annular series of receptacles revolvable about an axis, means for supplying a batch of legumes to each of said receptacles, means for injecting a measured batch of heated liquid into each batch of legumes, means for ccntrollably heating said liquid and for circulating the same through the batch in each receptacle for a predetermined period of time, and means for inverting each receptacle after treatment of the material therein to remove the successive batches therefrom.

11. In a blancher, a series of pockets movable about an axis, means for supplying solids to said pockets, means for injecting measured quantities `of liquid into said pockets, means for, circulating liquid through said pockets for a selected period of time, and means for inverting each of said pockets to dump material therefrom.

12. In a blancher, a series of pockets movable about an axis, means for supplying solids to said pockets, means for injecting measured quantities of liquid into said pockets, means for circulating liquid through said pockets, means for controlling the duration of the period of circulation in each pocket, and means for inverting each of said pockets to dump material therefrom.

13. In a blancher, a series of pockets movable about an axis, means for supplying solids to said pockets, means for injecting measured quantities of liquid into said pockets, means for circulating liquid through said pockets, means for varying the temperature of the liquid circulated through said pockets, and means for inverting each of said pockets to dump material therefrom.

14. In combination, a material confining pocket revolvable about an axis, a measuring device for delivering a predetermined quantity of liquid to said pocket, and a rotary valve operable by the revolution of said pocket to control the delivery of liquid to and from said device, said valve being intermittently rotatable through successive angles less than ninety degrees.

15. In combination, a material confining pocket revolvable about an axis, a measuring device for delivering a predetermined quantity of liquid to said pocket, and a rotary valve movable through successive angles of less than ninety degrees for controlling the iiow of liquid to and from said device.

16. A system for blanching comestibles, comprising, means for coniining independent batches of material, means for circulating heating liquid through each batch, and means for controlling the temperature of the liquid and the time of circulation to which each batch is subjected.

FRANK D. CHAPMAN. 

